Announcement of Federal Funding for the New River Valley Commerce
Park
Dublin, Virginia
October 16, 2008
I am pleased to return to Dublin today to announce a major provision of federal funding
for a new water and wastewater system to serve New River Valley
Commerce Park.
Today's announcement is a significant step toward our goal of attracting new technology
based industries to this Park and providing new job opportunities in the
region.
At my request, the U.S. Department of
Commerce through its Economic Development Administration is today providing a federal
grant of $3,003,401 to aide in the expansion of water and wastewater services
to Commerce Park. The funds are being provided jointly
to the Pulaski County Public Service Authority and to the Virginia's First Industrial Facilities
Authority. The Authority is an entity which
was created by 11 jurisdictions here in the New River and Roanoke
Valleys in order to develop and
construct Commerce
Park.
The Park is 900 acres in size and is
located next to the New River
Valley Airport.
Several years ago, I worked with local officials and with the U.S. Customs Office
to establish a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and a full-time U.S. Customs Office
here. In fact, Commerce
Park is the only industrial park in Virginia with immediate
access to an international airport. Additionally, the Park is easily accessible
to Interstate 81.
Currently, an impediment to the
location of new businesses in this Park is the absence of a water and
wastewater system large enough to support major industrial development. The
federal funding announced today will enable Virginia's First Industrial Development
Authority and the Pulaski County Public Service Authority to construct a water
and wastewater system of sufficient size to serve the Park. Today's
announcement represents a significant step in our efforts to create new job
opportunities in the New River
Valley.
The total
cost of establishing water and wastewater services at Commerce Park
is more than $6.5 million. In addition to the more than $3 million I am
announcing today, local leaders are currently seeking $3.4 million for the
water and wastewater system, and I look forward to working with them to secure
additional federal funds.
Currently, discussions
are underway with officials from the City of Radford
to allow the purchase of water from the City's water treatment plant to serve Commerce Park.
If those discussions are successful, two new pumps will be installed at
the Radford water treatment plant and a 24 inch water line nearly three miles
in length will be constructed between the water treatment plant and an existing
water line on US Route 11. An additional 12 inch water line will be installed
from Highland Park in Radford to Commerce Park, a distance of about 1 mile. A
700,000 gallon water storage tank and an additional 2,000 feet of water line
and 3,500 feet of wastewater line will be installed at Commerce Park.
I would like
to take the opportunity of these remarks to recognize a number of individuals
who have been instrumental in the success we celebrate today.
Joe Sheffey,
Chair of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, and the remaining Board
members also deserve our thanks today for their leadership in this project. I
would also like to express my appreciation to Peter Huber, Pulaski County
Administrator, for his efforts in securing this federal funding.
H.W. Huff,
Jr., Chair of the Pulaski County Public Service Authority, and the entire PSA
deserve our appreciation today for their many years of efforts on behalf of
this project.
Mayor Thomas Starnes from the City of
Radford and the
entire City Council have been extremely helpful with this project and I would
like to thank them. I would also like to
express my appreciation to Tony Cox, Radford City Manager, for his outstanding
assistance.
Chris
McKlarney, who serves as County Administrator of Giles
County and Chair of the Virginia's First
Industrial Facility Authority, and the entire Authority Board deserve our
thanks for their work to create new job opportunities in this region. I would also like to recognize the elected officials in the eleven
jurisdictions which are participants in the Commerce
Park project: the counties of Pulaski, Montgomery,
Bland, Roanoke, Giles and Craig; the cities of
Radford and Roanoke; and the towns of Pulaski, Dublin and
Pearisburg. The leadership of these
local governments is to be congratulated for working in partnership to achieve
this landmark success.
I want to thank David Rundgren,
Executive Director of the New River Valley Planning District Commission, and
his excellent staff for the outstanding work they perform on behalf of the
residents of this region.
Finally, I
want to thank my Project Manager Derek Lyall for his excellent work in support of
the expansion of water and wastewater facilities across the Ninth Congressional
District.
The provision of water and wastewater
services to Commerce
Park is an excellent use
of federal funds. The residents of this region will benefit from the enhanced
opportunity for economic development, and I would like to congratulate everyone
gathered here today on this success.
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